COTEAU — For the first time in three years Wat Thammarattanaram Buddhist Temple in Coteau will be able to celebrate Lao New Year in proper form as the temple’s annual Lao New Year celebration makes a comeback.

Organizers announced this month that the tradition, which had been canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be back once again on the temple grounds located in Lanexang Village.

The temple is nestled in the very back of Lanexang Village in Coteau, right off U.S. 90 near Broussard.

The new year observance is celebrated from April 14 through April 16 in Lao culture. Iberia Parish is home to one of the biggest celebrations of the event in the state thanks to its local Lao population and the religious practitioners at Wat Thammarattanaram.

The festivities kick off on April 15 with a new year celebration complete with traditional dances and live music. The next day, the annual Lao New Year and Nang Song Kran (Queen’s Parade) will take place from noon to 4 p.m. The parade usually takes place as part of a larger pageant during the festival.

The final day will include the celebration’s Water Festival and Sand Castle Building events, which start at noon.

Although the day is centered around Lao traditional practices, the public is invited to attend and tour the Buddhist temple during the celebrations.

Dozens of vendors are also on-site during the event to provide a wide variety of pho and other Lao culinary staples.

Lao New Year is a three-day public holiday in Lao, and is called Songkran or Pii Mai, which means new year. The observance is based on the solar new year that was observed in parts of India and Asia, and typically falls on either April 13 or 14 every year.

Much of the revenue made during the event goes back to support Wat Thammarattanaram and has even provided for renovations in the past.

Temple events will be open to the public besides times that are specified for cleaning.